** CHINA. Firedrake poor on 9300, March 19 at 1223, but inaudible on 9000 and 8400 which are usually best (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. Have not noted R. Africa on 15190 for more than a month now, including close check for it March 19 at 2143 next to YFR/Ascension 15195, and still no trace of a carrier on 15190 at 2202 after ASC was off.
The last reports of it in DXLD were Feb 21-22, but in the morning to midday hours. This was shortly after the ``terrorist attack/attempted coup`` on Feb 17 as linked in DXLD 9-016.
My last log of 15190 was Feb 14 at 1555, and Brian Alexander had heard it Feb 13 at 2110-2150, as in DXLD 9-015. So has anyone been hearing 15190 at any hour since then? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GREECE. VOG, 15650, Greek music until closing at 1352* March 19.
At 2120 March 19, found things back to normal with 9420 again on the air and clashing at about equal level with CVC 1Africa, Zambia, producing a SAH of 3.5 Hz, i.e. 210 fades per minute, but in short term the fade rate varied slightly, either due to one or both unstable transmitters or propagation/Doppler effect.
Usual collision of Greek music versus wacky religionist talk in English and praise music for impressionable young Africans. CVC went off at 2201, leaving VOG in the clear.
Meanwhile at 2153 I checked the other VOG frequencies, and found both
7450 and 7475 on the air with similar music but not //. 7450 also had that annoying het less than a kHz on the low side. So that means all three Avlis transmitters are again funxional for the first time in weeks, a conclusion John Babbis, who never misses an evening monitoring Greece in Maryland, also came to at 2202.
This may mean that 15650 resumes its previous schedule the next day, i.e. until 1550* and again colliding with Miraya FM from and for Darfur via Slovakia from *1500.
But the days are numbered (to nine more) for the 9420 CVC/ERA collision, as CVC plans to move to 5940 in A-09 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KOREA NORTH. 6350 with noise jamming at 1237 March 19, instead of the usual whoop-whooping. Apparently the juches are changing their tactix; now it sounds about the same as on 3918 and 3985 against other clandestines from the South (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NETHERLANDS [non]. Just as I tuned in RN`s morning broadcast in Spanish on 9835 via Bonaire, March 19 at 1219, heard Jaime Báguena mention frequency 9895, but he must have been referring to A-09 when the 1200 transmission will move back to the latter.
I had tried a few times to hear RN Indonesian via Saipan, 15280 at 22-23, to determine whether the severe audio glitches I had previously heard were still happening, but reception has been poor to nil. March 19, however signal was back to good here, way off the back of the beam, at 2202, YL with ``Warta berita dari Radio Nederland Wereldomroep`` with two chords between items.
I listened carefully for four minutes and did not hear any of the skipping/looping as before, but the audio was still a bit `rough` as if fraxions of syllables were being cut off in the processing; not however noted during the musical chords, which could point to a studio problem rather than somewhere along the long line to Saipan. I never heard back whether the previous severe breakups could be correlated with satellite solar transit outages, which should be over by now, anyway (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NETHERLANDS [non]. Checking The Happy Station repeat of the `Dick Speekman` edition, Thursday March 19 at 1500: WRMI 9955 provided very good reception as it has been able to lately in the mornings, unlike the evenings --- but I could still hear DentroCuban jamming underneath it, a fine way to treat an alumnus of RHC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TURKEY [and non]. Listened to VOT`s Letterbox Wed March 18 on daily audio archive, in case they acknowledged my report about the foulups on 7325 via Sackville.
Seref Isler read reception report after reception report, praising the programming and hankering after QSLs, but no mention of this problem. The mailbag ran from 37 to 49 minutes into the file, and appeared after another feature, Turkey-EU Agenda, contrary to the order on their current printed program schedule folder, which shows that to be last on Wednesdays. Yet, in replying to another listener who mentioned that programming heard did not match the schedule, Seref explicitly said, ``We confirm every day before going on the air that the program schedule matches airplay``!
Another one wanted to be a `monitor`, but ``unfortunately, we don`t have a monitoring service``. No surprise there, considering that no one but yours truly seems to have noticed the wrong language on 7325, and nothing has been done about it so far. By `monitoring service` I suppose he means some kind of organized group sending regular reports as other stations have, or used to have, in return for small or large favors, even a paycheck.
Chalk up yet another misfeed depriving VOT`s myriads of SW listeners in NAm from the English broadcast they are entitled to as on the schedule, 0400 UT via Sackville on 7325 --- UT March 19 at *0400 sharp into Turkish talk, joining some non-English program in progress. But the TRT chief engineer is now aware of the problem and will be working on correcting it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO observations: WRMI 9955 is usually prompt to get a new edition on the air/webcast as soon as it is available, and #1452 was confirmed on webcast only a couple hours after it was uploaded, UT Thu March 19 at 0530.
Unfortunately, the Thursday 1530 next airing has been replaced by a Happy Station repeat, but Jeff White has given us another airing temporarily on Saturdays at 1530 until another program takes over in April. Next evening chance is UT Friday 0100.
Checking the first opportunity for WBCQ to run new 1452, Thursday March 19 at 1900 on 7415, just barely audible here, being totally daytime path with the sun getting higher and higher, but I hope it works better close-in. However, I could make out it was still last week`s show, #1451. Two hours later during Ted Randall`s program, 7415 reception had greatly improved. Try again Friday at 1900, and on 5110 at 2300 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. Sorry to note that WWCR-1 is developing a `squeal` problem like WEWN, tho relatively minor so far, audible only during talk segments and pauses in Spanish broadcast, March 19 at 2157 on very strong 7465; obscured when music plays (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. After anomalous findings on VOA Spanish frequencies this week, I checked earlier in the morning on March 19: at 1216, 9885 was already on in Spanish, or rather Gringo-Spanish, some official being interviewed about indocumentados. So the broadcast is probably starting at 1130 instead of 1230 due to DST in Wáshington and nowhere in Latin America except the running dog of Cuba which follows USA DST change dates.
At 1229 I was listening to // 13715 as the Enfoque Andino hour was ending, complete with English outro, ``This program has come to you from the Voice of America, Washington``. Semi-minute of dead air to fake out listeners thinking the transmission is really over ---
Then at 1230 re-starting, ``Welcome to the Voice of America in Spanish`` and into ``Buenos Días, América`` the morning news magazine, which presumably ran until 1300 when 9885 and 13715 went off. I.e. one UT hour earlier than during USA standard time.
Rechecked third frequency, 15590, at 1353, when ID in English as VOA Music Mix, 1359 standard sign-off but cut off after 2 or 3 notes of Yankee Doodle. What self-disrespect! The 13-14 hour on 15590 the day before had started out in English but ended in Spanish; seems they can`t decide which language to run on this unscheduled transmission (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 6900-6970 approx., presumed OTH radar pulses March 19 a 1236, perhaps from China (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
** EQUATORIAL GUINEA. Have not noted R. Africa on 15190 for more than a month now, including close check for it March 19 at 2143 next to YFR/Ascension 15195, and still no trace of a carrier on 15190 at 2202 after ASC was off.
The last reports of it in DXLD were Feb 21-22, but in the morning to midday hours. This was shortly after the ``terrorist attack/attempted coup`` on Feb 17 as linked in DXLD 9-016.
My last log of 15190 was Feb 14 at 1555, and Brian Alexander had heard it Feb 13 at 2110-2150, as in DXLD 9-015. So has anyone been hearing 15190 at any hour since then? (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** GREECE. VOG, 15650, Greek music until closing at 1352* March 19.
At 2120 March 19, found things back to normal with 9420 again on the air and clashing at about equal level with CVC 1Africa, Zambia, producing a SAH of 3.5 Hz, i.e. 210 fades per minute, but in short term the fade rate varied slightly, either due to one or both unstable transmitters or propagation/Doppler effect.
Usual collision of Greek music versus wacky religionist talk in English and praise music for impressionable young Africans. CVC went off at 2201, leaving VOG in the clear.
Meanwhile at 2153 I checked the other VOG frequencies, and found both
7450 and 7475 on the air with similar music but not //. 7450 also had that annoying het less than a kHz on the low side. So that means all three Avlis transmitters are again funxional for the first time in weeks, a conclusion John Babbis, who never misses an evening monitoring Greece in Maryland, also came to at 2202.
This may mean that 15650 resumes its previous schedule the next day, i.e. until 1550* and again colliding with Miraya FM from and for Darfur via Slovakia from *1500.
But the days are numbered (to nine more) for the 9420 CVC/ERA collision, as CVC plans to move to 5940 in A-09 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** KOREA NORTH. 6350 with noise jamming at 1237 March 19, instead of the usual whoop-whooping. Apparently the juches are changing their tactix; now it sounds about the same as on 3918 and 3985 against other clandestines from the South (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NETHERLANDS [non]. Just as I tuned in RN`s morning broadcast in Spanish on 9835 via Bonaire, March 19 at 1219, heard Jaime Báguena mention frequency 9895, but he must have been referring to A-09 when the 1200 transmission will move back to the latter.
I had tried a few times to hear RN Indonesian via Saipan, 15280 at 22-23, to determine whether the severe audio glitches I had previously heard were still happening, but reception has been poor to nil. March 19, however signal was back to good here, way off the back of the beam, at 2202, YL with ``Warta berita dari Radio Nederland Wereldomroep`` with two chords between items.
I listened carefully for four minutes and did not hear any of the skipping/looping as before, but the audio was still a bit `rough` as if fraxions of syllables were being cut off in the processing; not however noted during the musical chords, which could point to a studio problem rather than somewhere along the long line to Saipan. I never heard back whether the previous severe breakups could be correlated with satellite solar transit outages, which should be over by now, anyway (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** NETHERLANDS [non]. Checking The Happy Station repeat of the `Dick Speekman` edition, Thursday March 19 at 1500: WRMI 9955 provided very good reception as it has been able to lately in the mornings, unlike the evenings --- but I could still hear DentroCuban jamming underneath it, a fine way to treat an alumnus of RHC (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** TURKEY [and non]. Listened to VOT`s Letterbox Wed March 18 on daily audio archive, in case they acknowledged my report about the foulups on 7325 via Sackville.
Seref Isler read reception report after reception report, praising the programming and hankering after QSLs, but no mention of this problem. The mailbag ran from 37 to 49 minutes into the file, and appeared after another feature, Turkey-EU Agenda, contrary to the order on their current printed program schedule folder, which shows that to be last on Wednesdays. Yet, in replying to another listener who mentioned that programming heard did not match the schedule, Seref explicitly said, ``We confirm every day before going on the air that the program schedule matches airplay``!
Another one wanted to be a `monitor`, but ``unfortunately, we don`t have a monitoring service``. No surprise there, considering that no one but yours truly seems to have noticed the wrong language on 7325, and nothing has been done about it so far. By `monitoring service` I suppose he means some kind of organized group sending regular reports as other stations have, or used to have, in return for small or large favors, even a paycheck.
Chalk up yet another misfeed depriving VOT`s myriads of SW listeners in NAm from the English broadcast they are entitled to as on the schedule, 0400 UT via Sackville on 7325 --- UT March 19 at *0400 sharp into Turkish talk, joining some non-English program in progress. But the TRT chief engineer is now aware of the problem and will be working on correcting it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. WORLD OF RADIO observations: WRMI 9955 is usually prompt to get a new edition on the air/webcast as soon as it is available, and #1452 was confirmed on webcast only a couple hours after it was uploaded, UT Thu March 19 at 0530.
Unfortunately, the Thursday 1530 next airing has been replaced by a Happy Station repeat, but Jeff White has given us another airing temporarily on Saturdays at 1530 until another program takes over in April. Next evening chance is UT Friday 0100.
Checking the first opportunity for WBCQ to run new 1452, Thursday March 19 at 1900 on 7415, just barely audible here, being totally daytime path with the sun getting higher and higher, but I hope it works better close-in. However, I could make out it was still last week`s show, #1451. Two hours later during Ted Randall`s program, 7415 reception had greatly improved. Try again Friday at 1900, and on 5110 at 2300 (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. Sorry to note that WWCR-1 is developing a `squeal` problem like WEWN, tho relatively minor so far, audible only during talk segments and pauses in Spanish broadcast, March 19 at 2157 on very strong 7465; obscured when music plays (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
** U S A. After anomalous findings on VOA Spanish frequencies this week, I checked earlier in the morning on March 19: at 1216, 9885 was already on in Spanish, or rather Gringo-Spanish, some official being interviewed about indocumentados. So the broadcast is probably starting at 1130 instead of 1230 due to DST in Wáshington and nowhere in Latin America except the running dog of Cuba which follows USA DST change dates.
At 1229 I was listening to // 13715 as the Enfoque Andino hour was ending, complete with English outro, ``This program has come to you from the Voice of America, Washington``. Semi-minute of dead air to fake out listeners thinking the transmission is really over ---
Then at 1230 re-starting, ``Welcome to the Voice of America in Spanish`` and into ``Buenos Días, América`` the morning news magazine, which presumably ran until 1300 when 9885 and 13715 went off. I.e. one UT hour earlier than during USA standard time.
Rechecked third frequency, 15590, at 1353, when ID in English as VOA Music Mix, 1359 standard sign-off but cut off after 2 or 3 notes of Yankee Doodle. What self-disrespect! The 13-14 hour on 15590 the day before had started out in English but ended in Spanish; seems they can`t decide which language to run on this unscheduled transmission (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
UNIDENTIFIED. 6900-6970 approx., presumed OTH radar pulses March 19 a 1236, perhaps from China (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###
